Roads and engineering services senior manager, Derek Crowe, told Wednesday's north east Fife area committee meeting in Cupar that Freuchie Mill had not been known as a problem area before the mid-August deluge that flooded 12 houses.

"With the tremendous value of hindsight we have to look and say why was that development built there at the lowest point of the land?" he said.

The area committee considered a report of the north east Fife flooding problems on August 8-10 and then again on August 12-13 when torrential rain battered the region, leading to road closures, minor landslips and damage to businesses and houses.

As well as Freuchie Mill, problems also occurred at Falkland, Ceres and Cupar, where the Lady Burn burst its banks, causing flooding in the Burnside area.

The Cupar district received 211.1 millimetres of rain during August, the highest level recorded in any month for 60 years.

The councillors praised the emergency response to the flooding and the teamwork and co-ordination shown between Fife Council services, Fife Police and Fife Fire and Rescue Service.

However, Howe of Fife and Tay Coast councillor David MacDiarmid expressed disappointment at the responses given by Fife Council and Kingdom Housing Association representatives to Freuchie residents at a later public meeting.

Councillor MacDiarmid said residents recognised the flooding had been a freak situation and were not looking to blame anyone, but simply sought assistance.

Since the public meeting, more talks had taken place with Kingdom Housing about the final reinstatement of the area and a routine maintenance regime to help mitigate against future flooding.

A report to the area committee by the head of transportation services, Dr Bob McLellan, warned the available annual budget for flooding response had already been exceeded with autumn and winter still to come.

Dr McLellan said the emergency flooding response during August 8-15 cost transportation services about £70,000, with the follow-up repairs, such as reinstating damaged roads, footways, choked gullies, damaged pipes and culverts, estimated to cost £80,000.

The flooding problems experienced in Cupar were discussed at a separate meeting between local councillors and officers on Wednesday evening.